Ann Arbor police search for missing 79-year-old woman
Updated: Missing 79-year-old Ann Arbor woman found unharmed in Detroit
Ann Arbor police continue to search for a 79-year-old woman who was reported missing Thursday night and may be trying to find her way back to Ann Arbor, Det. Bill Stanford said.
Darlene Dobrin
Detectives have determined that Darlene Dobrin was seen shortly after midnight this morning at a gas station in Oakland County, where she was requesting directions to Ann Arbor, Stanford said.
Dobrin suffers from memory loss and was expected home, family members told police. She was seen driving a gray, 1988 Dodge Dynasty with Michigan license plate BHU-3341, police said.
"She never stays out late," Stanford said. "She's not a big traveler. We'd like people's help trying to locate her."
Dobrin is 5 feet, 6 inches tall and weighs about 130 pounds. Anyone with information can call Ann Arbor police at (734) 994-2911.
Comments
julieswhimsies
Fri, Nov 12, 2010 : 9:34 p.m.
I love happy endings!
julieswhimsies
Fri, Nov 12, 2010 : 9:32 p.m.
My heart goes out to this lady's family. I hope she is found soon!
mkm17
Fri, Nov 12, 2010 : 6:26 p.m.
Excellent news!
CountyKate
Fri, Nov 12, 2010 : 6:21 p.m.
According to WDIV, she has been found on the east side of Detroit and the newscast showed her in a reunion with her relatives. She had a flat tire on her car and a good Samaritan stopped to help her. He realized she wasn't in good shape and managed to get a phone number out of her with which to call her family. All is well.
MorningGirl
Fri, Nov 12, 2010 : 6:15 p.m.
She has been found and is safe.
mkm17
Fri, Nov 12, 2010 : 5:01 p.m.
Hypnotique, this is an important topic to discuss, as many readers might be part of families struggling with the very issue of memory loss. I have put out the word to every one I know. I wonder if there is a notification system similar to "Amber Alert" for vulnerable adults?
Hypnotique
Fri, Nov 12, 2010 : 4:36 p.m.
Let's all stop trying to "read between the lines" and/or "make the connection" and focus on helping to spread the word to anyone we know in the Oakland/Washtenaw County area, so Ms. Dobrin can be found ASAP!
mkm17
Fri, Nov 12, 2010 : 4:25 p.m.
I just want to clarify that we should not necessarily assume that Ms. Dobrin's memory loss has contributed to her apparent disappearance. But the memory loss was mentioned in the article, so it is logical to make the connection.
Guinea Pig in a Tophat
Fri, Nov 12, 2010 : 4:21 p.m.
I hope she is safe and comes home soon.
mkm17
Fri, Nov 12, 2010 : 4:03 p.m.
I truly hope Ms. Dobrin will be found safe! There is a huge range of memory loss, and it is rare that a family will truly know when is the "right" time to attempt to restrict the family member. My mother is 79 years old. For the past five years my brothers and I did not feel it was safe for Mom to live on her own. But Mom resisted, and it was only two years ago that we were able to persuade Mom to move in with my husband, kids, and me. And that was after at least four fender benders that we know of. It's a tough call. Maybe impossible.
MorningGirl
Fri, Nov 12, 2010 : 3:54 p.m.
Again, she was "expected home" is misleading. She was never expected to leave home; she drove only for errands in Ann Arbor.
MorningGirl
Fri, Nov 12, 2010 : 3:49 p.m.
The article says she was "expected home" as if she had been on a trip alone. This is not the case. She drove only in Ann Arbor for errands. The family has no idea why or how she was in Oakland County.
frankweir
Fri, Nov 12, 2010 : 3:48 p.m.
I have a lot of Alzheimers in my family. I hope Ohio state troopers have been notified. She could have traveled quite some distance in her possible confusion.
MorningGirl
Fri, Nov 12, 2010 : 3:39 p.m.
She has lived alone for many years with no incident, and she disliked driving. No one could have anticipated this would happen. Please do not blame her family.
trs80
Fri, Nov 12, 2010 : 3:35 p.m.
This is sad. Please if you have a loved one with medical conditions of this nature, do not let them drive, its them you will be protecting.